Synopsis

Scientists can now analyze a person’s genes to pinpoint what country his or her ancestors hailed from. A team of U.S. researchers recently performed a massive analysis of European genetics using high-resolution gene-screening techniques that arose from the Human Genome Project. To the researchers' surprise, they found that they could distinguish Italians from French, Danish from Norwegians, and so on—just by genes alone. The techniques will prove useful in the study of genetic diseases, ancestry tracing, and crime scene investigation.